Editorial: Ominous signs

Signs of rising militancy are a matter of serious concern for Punjab and must be nipped in the bud

The ghosts of the past are haunting the sensitive border State of Punjab. The signs of rising militancy are a matter of serious concern. The recent storming of a police station at Ajnala by armed supporters of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who is being projected as a 21st-century avatar of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, reflects a disturbing trend which must be nipped in the bud. The country cannot afford a throwback to the traumatic 1980s, a blood-soaked era of terrorism that left a deep scar on society and negated the gains of a prosperous State. Moreover, there is a well-orchestrated plan by a section of the military establishment in Pakistan to revive the Khalistani movement and make every possible effort to fan the embers of discontent. The remnants of Babbar Khalsa International, International Sikh Youth Federation, Khalistan Zindabad Force and Khalistan Commando Force are said to be still operating from bases in Pakistan. The ISI has also aided and abetted the malcontents among the Sikh diaspora, particularly those belonging to the ‘World Sikh Organisation’ and ‘Sikhs for justice’, and is also fuelling the Khalistani aggression in the UK, Canada and Australia. Amritpal Singh, who heads Waris Punjab De, had openly declared that he was following the path of Bhindranwale and even issued an apparent death threat to Home Minister Amit Shah. The National Investigation Agency, the central counter-terrorism probe agency, has so far failed to take action against Amritpal despite his secessionist rant.

The Punjab government too appears lenient when it comes to reining in rabble-rousers. The fragile security apparatus of the State was exposed when terrorists fired a rocket at the intelligence headquarters of the Punjab Police on May 9, 2022. As far back as 2014, the Damdami Taksal built a memorial for Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other militants killed during Operation Blue Star within the premises of the Golden Temple. There were objections initially, but these gradually died down and the memorial is now a fait accompli. In 2016-17, there were targeted murders of RSS workers. In 2018, Amarinder Singh, then chief minister of Punjab, urged the Home Ministry to devise a comprehensive strategy to thwart attempts at reviving extremism in the State. Khalistan posters and Bhindranwale’s images are openly displayed on the streets of Punjab on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, which is observed as ‘Ghallughara Day’. The administration has always been turning a blind eye to these developments. It is time the State’s political and religious leadership took an unambiguous stand on the hardliners and affirmed the supremacy of the rule of law. The bid to whip up religious secessionist sympathies is nothing but a ploy by vested interests based in India and abroad to destabilise Punjab all over again. A replay of the tumultuous era of terrorism will be catastrophic for Punjab.

---